More women in Negros Oriental now have the courage to come out into the open to report abuses and seek help from authorities, a police official said.
“This is a result of our continuous information dissemination and other interventions to empower women, especially in the barangays,” Captain Helen Grace Aldirete, chief of the provincial police’s Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD), said during a Kapihan sa PIA forum.
Police cited this courage to inform authorities about incidents of abuse as the reason behind the 2.52 percent increase in reported violence against women (VAW) cases in 2024.
Citing police data, Aldirete said 448 VAW cases were reported in 2024 compared to 437 in 2023.
WCPD-Negros Oriental records show that of the 448 cases, violations to Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004 topped the list with 393.
This was followed by Acts of Lasciviousness with 24; rape, 19; attempted rape, three; violations to Republic Act 11648 or the Act of Raising the Age of Sexual Consent, three; attempted murder, two; and one each for grave threats, violation of Republic Act 9995 or the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009, frustrated murder, and attempted parricide.
Aldirete said 33 cases were filed in court and/or with the perpetrators arrested, 64 were cleared, while one is under investigation.
She, however, lamented that there are still those who refuse to file charges for fear of repercussions from their husbands or perpetrators, or loss of financial support, especially for their children.
Other guest panelists in the forum said this was a perennial problem where some women are afraid to go to court despite assurances from the government and private advocacy groups of legal and other forms of assistance.
Aside from Aldirete, the other guest panelists included Phoebe Tan, co-chair of the Provincial Commission on Women; Klin Mendez, Gender and Development Focal Person of the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Negros Oriental; and Onna Rhea Quizo, executive director of the Gender Watch Against Violence and Exploitation-Negros Oriental.
The forum was held in celebration of Women’s Month this March with the theme “Babae sa Lahat ng Sektor, Aangat ang Bukas sa Bagong Pilipinas.” (PNA)